Counterfeit Notes 2015

The number of counterfeit Scottish banknotes discovered and removed from circulation during 2015 remained only a very small percentage in relation to the total number of genuine notes in circulation. From Table 1 below you can see that the number of counterfeit notes represents only 0.0341% of the number of genuine banknotes in circulation, which at the end of 2015 stood at over 310 million notes.

Table 1

COUNTERFEIT AND GENUINE SCOTTISH BANKNOTES 2015

(NUMBER OF NOTES)

Denomination

No. of counterfeit banknotes taken out of circulation

No. of genuine banknotes in circulation

%

£1

4

20,489,378

0.0000

£5

2,536

37,358,422

0.0068

£10

15,626

88,699,214

0.0176

£20

83,538

154,748,055

0.0540

£50

4,085

7,069,563

0.0578

£100

0

2,311,968

0.0000

Total

105,789

310,676,600

0.0341

At 105,789, the number of counterfeit notes discovered and removed from circulation increased during 2015. Chart 1 shows comparative figures for 2010 to 2015.

Chart 1

The face value of counterfeit notes removed from circulation also increased during 2015 to £2,043,954. Chart 2 provides figures for the face value of counterfeit notes removed from circulation from 2010 onwards.